I would like to express my horror about the recent shooting of Tibetan refugees by the Chinese People's Armed Police (PAP). It is high time that the IOC understands that silence on the situation in Tibet will leave a stain on the Olympic movement as a whole.

The shooting, which resulted in the death of Kelsang Namtso, a seventeen-year-old nun, and the injury of 20-year-old Kunsang Namgyal, happened as 71 refugees (excluding two guides) were preparing to cross the glaciated Nangpa La, an 18,753 ft. pass close to Everest base camp on September 30, 2006. Twenty-nine refugees were arrested after continuing to flee, including 14 children - the youngest of which is five years old.

I strongly believe, as history demonstrates, that such outrageous incidents will repeat as long as the Chinese occupation of Tibet is not solved in a peaceful way.

The IOC will become morally bankrupt if it continues to keep quiet on the issue of Tibet and does not use its influence on the Chinese government in the lead-up to the 2008 Olympics to have Beijing resolve the long-standing issue of Tibet.

Therefore, I urge you to immediately make Beijing aware that it is unacceptable to the Olympic movement and the international community for it - the 2008 Olympic host country - to continue to brutally suppress the right of the Tibetan people.

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About Me

As an avid human rights activist and member of the China Freedom Blog Alliance, I focus mainly on safeguarding the rights of the Chinese people who are deprived of basic freedom under the tyranny of the Chinese Communist Party.